Grace really is amazing.
If you’ve been a Christian for any amount of time, chances
are you have struggled with frustrating habits or been disappointed by failures
or just couldn’t do “it” (whatever your “it” is) I’ve been there. But once you
have a revelation of God’s grace in your life (might seem like that is taking
too long to come though), you’ll know just how amazing it is!
Someone may ask Well, what is grace?
I’m glad you asked. But first, think of a problem you’re
having in your life right now—a bad habit, conflict in a relationship, a
particularly long and difficult period of testing. Now I want to ask you: Have
you been trying to make things work out? If so, have they…or are
you discouraged, disappointed, or frustrated?
If your answer is yes, then you are in the best place to
realize just how amazing God’s grace really is! You see, grace is the power to
overcome bad habits, to make peace in a relationship, or to bring you
victoriously through a time of testing—without all your trying.
That’s because it is God’s power, not ours, that overcomes our evil tendencies.
All that our trying has ever done, or will ever really do,
is cause frustration. We can never make ourselves better by trying…praying
more or longer, studying more of the Word, performing good works, etc you may
argue differently but like I asked, has your trying changed anything so far? Don’t get me wrong…it’s not bad to
do any of these things. In fact, it’s good. It’s just that doing them in God’s
power is the only way those things will have any real and lasting effect in our
lives.
The interesting thing about trying is that it’s not
scriptural. Yes, the word is in the Bible. But, it’s not there telling us to
try to do better or be better. If you look it up, you’ll see that when that word
is used, it’s in reference to the “trying” of our faith, “trying” the spirits,
or “trying” us to prove our character. All our trying, or human
effort, is really just works of the flesh that can never bring about the change
in us that only God’s power, or grace, can.
It’s certainly not wrong to want to be a better person. God
gave us that desire. But according to Galatians 3:10, ...anyone who
tries to live by his own effort, independent of God, is doomed to failure(MSG).
That’s why so much of the time we will find ourselves frustrated, disappointed
and overwhelmed by the “stuff” in our lives. We try to work it out on our own.
And that will never do.
Choose His Help
God wants to help us…He loves us…we are His children. But He
will not force His help on us at any time. He sees us when we struggle and
fight and complain our way through things. And I believe me when I say it breaks
His heart, when all we have to do is ask Him for help.
His grace is the power for living an abundant life. Our
faith receives, not “buys,” the blessings of God. Striving, struggling, trying
can never do that. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that it is by grace you
have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift
of God—not by works, so that no one can boast (NIV).
So in the same way we became born again, we live in the
Spirit—by God’s grace, through faith. It’s simple. Humble yourself. Ask God for
His help. Then, do what He says. Trust in His power—He is mighty to do whatever
we need Him to do and to help us do our part. Trust in His wisdom—He knows
what, when and how to do it.
Trust in His goodness—He wants to do it.
Now, isn’t that amazing?